Thursday, 20 December 2012

2012 is
almost at an end (maybe even our lives if the Mayans have anything to do with
it!) and I thought I’d go over everything that’s happened with you. Firstly I’d
like to thank each and everyone one of you for your awesome support and loyalty.
It has been a great year.

This year
was the start of wonderful experiences for me. I started this blog, had a
great time sharing my crazy adventures through author-dom with you and also
started my Watcha’ Doin With posts. Thanks to all the talented and wonderful
authors who participated—the world is a better place with you people in it! I
learnt how to create a book trailer (with music!) and upload it to YouTube (pat on the back
for this technological ignoramus!) I’m constantly learning more about the
literary world every day and picking up priceless advice on writing that one
supernova novel that’s going to get me my secluded island (only accessible by
motor boat) and dinner with RPatz.I’d
like to shout out a special thank you to Ken Spillman, my awesome author
mentor, who somehow always manages to make my day. Thanks to him, I’ve been
invited to be a presenter at the AFCC in Singapore next year. Three years ago,
I was moping around that very same book fair, getting in publishers’ faces
about taking on my book. It’s so surreal to imagine myself actually presenting
there now.

The Scarlet
Omen was released on 17 June this year, making my childhood dream a reality.
Thank you Kymberlyn Reed, Miriam Pace and Jackie Hamilton—you gals have given me
the chance to call myself an author without having people roll their eyes at me.
My life will never be the same again and it’s all thanks to you.

Because of this,
I finally got to see myself in the Malaysian national newspaper. Thank you Gwen
Manickam and Subadhra Devan for making me a self-proclaimed local celebrity! My
son now thinks that it’s absolutely normal to be in the papers; I think I have
an over-achiever in the making here.

My only
wish is that my father could have seen the article. It would have been one of
the best moments of my life watching him open his daily paper and see a full-page
article about his youngest daughter. Sadly, he passed away in February, leaving
a giant hole in my universe. He never got to see the acknowledgment that I
wrote on the first page of The Scarlet Omen: “To my father, for never saying ‘No’.”
I’ll miss him. I would not be writer had it not been for his constant diligence
that I write down every single memorable moment in my life and that the phrase 'I can't' be erased from the English language. Thanks, Pa.

All in all
it’s been a great year of book signings and interviews, fan mail and five star
reviews. My son’s getting older every day, dragging me along on his crazy ride
to growing up. Being a mother of the coolest boy in the world is indescribable.
My students have been a great support, forcing themselves to finish my book
even though the English was difficult at times. Thanks people—you’re the best
students a teacher could wish for!

There are
no words to describe how much my family has been my lifeline this year (and I’m
a writer so shame on me!). There would be no me without you—thank you for
everything, my biggest most viciously loyal and protective fans. I love you.

My all time
favourite movie this year (please don’t throw up or pledge boycotting my blog
and book in 2013) was Breaking Dawn part 2. In my defence, anything with Robert
Pattinson in it WILL be the movie that I swear to love forever...so please don’t
judge until you’ve lost your heart to that one perfect guy. My song of the year
is definitely I Will Wait by Mumford and Sons; I think my phone’s going to go
on strike if I play that song one more time. The Hunger Games series and Under
the Dome were my favourite books of this year (I read as much as I write so
books that leave an impression on me are very rare).

So what’s cooking
in 2013? I’ve handed in the prequel to The Scarlet Omen...extremely proud of
it...let’s hope my publisher is too. I’m now working on the third book of Anjeli’s
adventures. It’s really cool watching her and her fellow characters grow and
learn—I might just cry when I reach The End. My New Year’s Resolution: I’ve
decided that I’d like to be more patient and understanding next year (my family
will be happy to be finally rid of my wall-cracking tantrums and
eardrum-piercing silent treatments). I’d also like to take up sky-diving but
SOME PEOPLE have strictly forbidden it, so I’ll just have to remain a bookworm.

Well, these
are my final musings for the year so I’d like to thank you all again for your
patronage and comments. Merry Christmas and have a wonderful New Year with your
family and friends. Take care and please come back safely to me in January so that
we can commence our journey through the literary world together in 2013...with
brand new Mojos and kick-ass hair. Cheers and Kisses, my lovelies!

Thursday, 29 November 2012

Rashad Freeman is the author of “Shadow
of Darkness”, a young adult novel and Volume I of the Creature Kid series. In addition to that Rashad has published two
short stories and most recently a suspense thriller called “Night
Slashers.” A true Floridian and
self-proclaimed comedian, Rashad’s passion for writing can only be matched by
his ridiculous desire to throw off caution and sail the world as a pirate.

What inspired you to become an author?

Well I know it sounds cliché, but I’ve
always been a writer. I have dozens of
works in progress, but have been horrible about finishing anything. I’m not sure what exactly pushed me over the
edge. One day I just decided I was going
to finish something and I sat down and finally finished my first novel.

What was your most memorable childhood
memory?

My most memorable childhood memory or
memories would be growing up around a library. My mother is an English Professor and we
practically lived in the library. It’s
something that’s lost on today’s generation, but I truly thank her for showing
us the beauty of books. A simple walk
down a hallway would turn into an adventure through an underwater cave and the
double doors that lead into the bathroom were the decompression chamber of a
submarine. The ability to use your
imagination and grow your mind is something that can never be done enough.

If you could be anything or anyone for
a day, who would it be and why?

Definitely an eagle. I love the idea of flight, the ability to be
limitless and free.

Please tell us a little about your
latest release. What were the best and worst parts for you personally? Are
there any novels of yours that are your personal favourites?

Well my latest release is called
“Night Slashers” and it’s a suspense thriller.
I really love the idea of this book, but I have to say writing it is was
a chore. There were so many twists and
turns that I had to be meticulous to make sure everything fit. My favorite novel is my first “Shadow of
Darkness.” I really got to just have fun
with this book and it’s in one of my favorite genres, young adult. It’s also a series (Creature Kid Series) and
will eventually have seven total volumes.
I really love the idea of sticking with characters for that many books
and getting to see them grow and change.

What is more important to
you: characters or plots?

Characters definitely. I think if you have the right characters they
will create the plot. It’s like life,
boring people will be boring regardless of the situation. But if you have exciting people they will
make the situation. I really try hard to
develop my characters and show the many different dimensions of the human
condition.

“To err is to be human”. What are your
thoughts on this quote and what do you think are the implications for writers?
What about character and plot planning?

I love this quote. We are nothing more than the collection of
experiences that shape us. Without
failure there can be no success. We are
all broken yet striving for perfection and that’s what makes life so
beautiful. As a writer I feel it’s my
duty to explore that and show the reader that in my characters. Whether I’m
writing a murder mystery or a love story my characters show the struggle
within. If your characters are not
evolving then they are dead and so is your story.

How do you “breath” life into your
characters?

It’s funny you use that expression,
“breath” because I’m always telling people that writers breath life onto
pages. For me a character has to have
life like qualities. All of my characters
are flawed in some way. They are all
searching for something. I’m also able
to relate to each one. I think as people
we have so many dimensions and writing really gives me the ability to explore
who I am as a person.

Any words of wisdom for our readers:

Well, of course my first tip would be
to buy all of my novels, the real treats are in there. But seriously if you’re a writer, respect the
craft. Whether you never sell a book or
sell millions understand that this is an art.
You take words and give life to them and give dreams a space to fly. Never underestimate your place in the world,
but don’t overstate it either. To
readers, respect the craft. What writers
do is no small feat. Many of us pour our
souls onto paper in hopes that we may reach a single reader. So next time you see a starving artist, give
them a pat on the back.

Thanks, Rashad for your awesome insights! I really enjoyed this. Hey readers, if you'd like to know more about Rashad Freeman, please feel free to check out the sites below:

Thursday, 15 November 2012

Somehow,
documentaries featuring past lives and hypnosis have been flooding the TV
channels recently and guess who’s been wallowing in it all? Yes, yours truly.
It’s fascinating! The idea that we subconsciously still remember who we were in
our past lives just blows my mind—not to mention the implications proving life
after death (my father, a very staunch Christian, will probably be shaking his
head from heaven but I can always apologize later).

So, being the
busy body that I am, I’ve been reading up and came across this site which made
me feel like the hairs on my neck were marching in a parade! I gave in my info
and got this:

“Your past
life diagnosis:

I don’t
know how you feel about this but you were female in your last earthly incarnation.
You were born somewhere in the territory of modern Western Australia around the
year 1375. Your profession was that of a sailor of shoemaker.

Psychological
profile:

Inquisitive,
inventive, you liked to get to the very bottom of things and rummage in books.
Talent for drama and natural born actor.

Lesson from
past life to be brought into current incarnation:

There is an
invisible connection between the material and spiritual world. Your lesson is
to search, find and use this magical bridge.”

Freaky or
what?! Those who know me well will know how much truth lies is this diagnosis.
I love Australia and have always wanted to live there…am still planning on
retiring there when I’m old and grey…something about the country has always
pulled at me. I love everything supernatural and my books are about bridging
the material and the spiritual world. I’m fascinated and yet terrified of the
deep sea (although I don’t know how I could have been a sailor and a woman in the 14th
century…I think I should have been having a village full of babies and stocking
the fire). Anyway, because every believer also needs to be a skeptic, I’m a
little critical about how a website can tell me who I was just by analyzing my
birthday.

So, all
this got me thinking: are these memories really from our past lives or could it
be DNA memory? Is it possible that we are only sharing the thoughts of our
ancestors?

“Research into the nature of DNA has revealed that
this material within each cell of our bodies has important implications for who
each one of us is, on many levels. In addition to determining our physical
characteristics, our vulnerabilities to certain diseases, and maybe even our
personality, is it possible that the DNA helix holds some of the important
memories of our ancestors?...For humans, with our relatively complex brain,
feelings and memories, what other kinds of experiences might be saved in our
DNA over the many thousands of years when our ancestors were born, lived and
died? And, can they be accessed by us here and now?... To conduct our own
personal research and to find out for ourselves, maybe all we need to do is
listen to our inner DNA. Listen to the voices, feelings, sights and experiences
of our ancestors. Their lives, joys and fears are within us. In that way, they
are with us always.”—Steve Hammons, http://www.ufodigest.com/news/0706/dnamemory.html

My
protagonist Anjeli in The Scarlet Omen keeps
having visions of her destiny. In the second novel of my trilogy these visions
take on a more important role…implying memories that are probably not her own
but those of her ancestors. Let’s see where they take her…

Sunday, 4 November 2012

Writing
used to be something magical when I was a kid. Authors were, to me, a race of
their own. Someone who could get the world to listen to every word they said
had to be of magical descent. Now that I’ve become one (of humbler descent but
nevertheless weird), I see the literary world for what people say it is: a
market. Sad really. What happened? How did the magic fade?

I blame the
Internet. It has no doubt empowered us in more ways than I can count
(math+me=???) but readers are also now spoiled for choice. There are millions
of sites where writers now have to squabble and pull at each other’s virtual hair
for space in a reader’s limited free time. Sad to say, some people have become
a tinsy bit arrogant and don’t show writers the respect due to any person.

I was
reading through some forums on a certain large online bookstore and came across
a discussion which a reader used to practically trample on authors that were
trying to promote their books. I agree that the forums are only for readers but
the language that that reader used really got me angry. Many people complain
that writers are flooding them with “spammy content” (is that even a real word?!)
in their attempts at promoting their work. Helloooo? What else are we supposed
to promote? Author=brand, novel=product!! Marketing 101, people!

When did authors lose their right to be
respected? Some would say that they lost it the moment they started flooding
the discussion areas with links to their books. (Okay, some writers really
wouldn’t know subtlety if it bit them on the nose, but I’ve never seen a rude author
post or one that actually provoked a rude comeback) However, what is book marketing
if not self-promotion? New authors are buried under layers of Rowlings and Co.
and their bestsellers so they need to push and shove. Trust me—writers would
very much prefer being holed up somewhere writing their next book instead of
prowling and lurking around reader forums. We don’t tell people off for
drowning us with photos of their babies’ 100th attempt at potty
training, do we? So why don’t people think that new writers deserve the same
respect given to annoying parents?

Frankly, I’m
too stuck up/proud/lazy to kiss ass (especially when some of those butts try to
bite back once in awhile) so I haven’t had the pleasure of being “put in my
place” by anyone yet. I just think that it’s imperative to show people that
there’s a real problem here. When I was a kid, authors were respected figures
in society (and I’m really not so old that anyone could put it down to the strange
phenomenon of the Dark Ages). A bad review is something else entirely—the reader
has at least given the content a chance before chewing out the author.

That person’s comment on the forums was
plainly hurtful, rude and discouraging and I don’t think that the authors he
aimed his comments at should take it lying down. Such disrespect should not be
allowed and I personally call it as it is: Cyber Bullying! It needs to stop. None
of the writers on the forums were forcing anyone to buy anything—they were
merely recommending their work. There was no need to be rude and those readers
whose vocabulary their mothers would be ashamed of should seriously rethink how
they communicate with their fellow human beings. New writers work hard for pittance
in return and are forced to the edges of literary society where they have to
make sure they don’t step on anyone’s toes. It sounds exhausting and new authors
should be allowed to be proud of their achievement (of actually being published
after years of rejection letters and tears) and not be treated like used-car
salesmen!

Needless to
say, for every fool, there are a million lovelies out there who are genuinely
thrilled about getting news from new authors. These are the people that we write
for…don’t forget it! A big thank you to every reader that has ever sent a positive
reply to a debút author…your Mamas will be proud that you mind your P’s and Q’s.

Sunday, 28 October 2012

Despite his large
build and scales so thick they deflected the bright rays of the evening suns,
Raja Naga, the ruby red dragon, soared effortlessly through the dark clouds,
scanning the horizon. Below him, the Valley of the Hornbills, Lembah
Kenyalang spread out to the East and West, bordered by two ancient mountain
ranges. He glanced at Catfish Mountain to his left, where his good friend Raja
Ikan--a once powerful member of the Gathering of the Elders--resided in his
eternal prison. The merfolk and their Princess Salma guarded him and kept him
company, accessing the mountain caves through their enchanted pools. The
venerable catfish dejectedly spent the rest of his days trapped in his own dark
pond, put there by forces so evil that even the red dragon shuddered at the
thought of them.

“How is the old
Catfish?”

The dragon had
almost forgotten that Kayanya, the handsome prince of the Lake People was riding
on his broad back. He often joined the dragon on his rounds in the cool night
air. “He’s getting older and blinder each day. Maybe he’ll soon be put out of
his misery.”

He felt the prince
go rigid. “Raja Naga, how can you say that?!”

“Imagine, Prince.
Lying in that pool for the rest of your days, never seeing another sunrise,
never again breathing in fresh air.”

“I’m sorry, Raja
Naga. You’re right--death would be better. But isn’t it imperative that we not
give up hope of rescuing him.”

Raja Naga shook his
large head as thin tendrils of smoke rose from his nostrils. “After three
hundred years? I’m sorry to seem like a killjoy, but you know who the only
person is that can save him now. We’ve tried everything.”

The prince remained
silent for awhile, probably thinking about the ancient prophecy.

Still furtively
watching the land where the thick rainforest gave way to the dreaded swamp land,
Raja Naga glanced down at the Pygmy Village where he saw the little people
scurrying around their long houses, their intricate ethnic tattoos only a deep
green blur, preparing for nightfall.

“I despise the
nights of the dark moon. Look at them, frantically casting their protective
spells, the poor things. Sri Cahaya must be there somewhere among them, working
the hardest. They’re just so small and seem so vulnerable compared to those
beasts that they fear,” said Kayanya through clenched teeth.

The dragon sensed
his despair. “Don’t fret, Kay. Sri Cahaya is the best medicine woman that ever
walked the land. She’s protected the pygmies from the creatures of the night
well and will continue to do so long after you and I are gone.”

The creatures of
the night, the dreaded Blood Drinkers, would soon emerge from their castle in
Ghost Forest, glide over the swamp lands like ghost ships and arrive at their
villages, as they did every dark moon. The red dragon shook his large, bejeweled
head again and literally heard the piercing screams of the fallen, the cries of
the mothers whose babies had been taken. The Pontianak had appeared long
before like a plague that swept over the valley and left their once peaceful
land in tatters, its inhabitants wrecked with fear and the magical heartbeat of
the valley beating slower, coming to the end with every breath.

Smoke rose thicker
now from his large nostrils as Raja Naga fought to keep calm. He watched the
animals in the forest below them hurry into their burrows, nests and caves as
the Animal Kingdom, too, prepared for the inevitable menace. The dragon observed
the webbed fingers of the merfolk disappear into their aquamarine ponds, which
were strewn all across the valley. His fellow dragons, his subjects, were
setting up guard outside their lair, close to the Great Lake to the North. He
spotted his mate giving them orders at the mouth of their cave before looking up
into the sky and nodding at him. She smiled sadly before retreating into the
gigantic rock formation.

“Yes, but they
covet our precious eggs. I know, they rest safely in the underground tunnels
deep below our lair, but I wouldn’t put it pass them to find a way
in.”

The dragons had not
known, at first, why the vampires would be interested in their offspring, but as
time passed, the inhabitants of the valley noticed the Pontianak stealing
more of their magical properties and depleting in a matter of years what took
centuries to mature. It was still a mystery what they used it for. Further to
the north, Raja Naga watched cautiously how the silver winged fairies in Fairy
Forest circled their borders, sprinkling their blessed golden sand around the
perimeter, hoping that its magic would protect them yet again.

As the suns set and
the sky suddenly plunged into darkness, Raja Naga heard with his highly tuned
ears that feared rush of robes billowing in the wind. He looked toward the
swampland with his eagle like eyes and saw the cloaked figures glide at an eerie
speed toward the lake. From that distance they looked like innocent ants
gate-crashing a peaceful picnic, but he knew what they were capable of. Raja
Naga picked up his pace, pounding his wings in the night air. Kayanya held on
tightly, pressing his own body to the dragon’s back, as the wind rushed over his
head. “I don’t see anything, Raja Naga.” The Pontianak were the most
difficult to spot during Dark Moon, which was why they chose that particular
time of month to go hunting.

Raja Naga did not
answer; he swooped and willed his wings to take them further, faster, but they
were too far away. They heard the blood-curdling screams of the Lake People long
before they could reach the fishermen’s village to warn them. The dragon could
only watch, his ivory teeth barred, as the almost invisible flock of vampires
retreated back to their castle, leaving broken hearts behind them. Kayanya
bellowed with rage, his voice strangled with tears. When they finally reached
the fisher settlement, the dragon opened his cave-like mouth and breathed
violent red flames at the Pontianak’s retreating backs, but the blood
drinkers were too swift. Kayanya made to leap off the dragon, but Raja Naga
sensed his yearning to kill those wretched beings and pulled up into the air.
Jumping into the middle of a hoard of vampires would be suicide.

The vampires
cackled at them like a group of hyenas, taunting the two proud leaders. “Are you
going to catch us, Old Beast? Watch your brittle bones! Don’t drop your handsome
package, now.”

A cloaked woman
floating effortlessly at the front of the entourage turned around and smiled
cheekily at them. Raja Naga snorted and flew higher into the night sky. He knew
that arrogant gait; the whole valley did. The Queen of the Vampires had taken
yet more lives. Raja Naga closed his eyes and saw her pale complexion burn
behind his lids. He thought how she must have been beautiful once, before she
became the monster that haunted everyone’s dreams. As the vampires disappeared
into the cover of the mangrove trees, he felt the prince sigh and relax his
tight grip on the dragon’s back. The prince cursed, echoing the dragon’s own
feelings. Raja Naga looked toward the Great Lake and pleaded to the wind, his
long snout shining with pearl white tears that now flowed freely. “Where are
you, our Nirupita? You’ve been appointed, so come as it has been
written.”

Sunday, 21 October 2012

When I was
a kid, it seemed like the days just dragged on in that never ending cycle of “What
shall we do now?”. Today, there just isn’t enough hours in the day...sleep may
have to wait till I’ve retired or my son moves out! When did it change? Did I
change or did society?

Before
e-mail, it took weeks for my friends on other continents to get my letters and
I made an effort to write lovely, eloquent essays and pick out the funniest
birthday cards. Now, it’s a quick “happy bday” and “omg guess what” PMs on FB
or Twitter. (There should be a dictionary explaining a lot of the short cuts we
use nowadays because by the time I figure out which acronym to in, there are
new ones ready to pounce and make my life that much harder!) Let’s not even mention
the lack of punctuation. Did we just get lazy as the Internet took over the
world or are we simply fighting to save time in our increasingly hectic lives?

“…The reality is that the pace
of our modern society brings out the characteristics that mimic ADD. The
question then becomes, are you suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder or
from Modern Life Syndrome? Reflect on a few of the ADD symptoms:

Trouble focusing attention for more than a few
seconds

Tuning out in the middle of a conversation

Likely to have many projects running
simultaneously

Always in a rush and impatient

Feeling of being overwhelmed by daily life

Difficulty
getting organized

Problems
with time management

Do you know anyone who does
not exhibit some or all of these traits? The truth is that society has evolved
to bring those tendencies to the forefront for all of us. We are now suffering
from Modern Life Syndrome as every part of our lives is barraged by messages
demanding attention.”—Is It ADD or Modern
Life Syndrome, http://www.keyorganization.com/is-it-add-or-modern-life-syndrome.php

So we’re all doomed?!?
These bags under my eyes will just have to go on boosting concealer sales?!?

When I first started writing
for young adults, I was constantly told that YA novels need to be fast paced…like
give your readers whiplash (I don’t want to, honestly, but the gods of modern
writing say so) fast. In other words, if at least one of your characters doesn’t
have a life changing experience within the first few sentences of your novel, readers
are going to file it away as another bad buy/What Was I Thinking.

Really? Is
that really how it works? And how did we become like this anyway? When I glance
through books that I read as a kid, writers always had time to build up their
stories, set the scene and draw readers into their world before killing a
character off. Nowadays, a paragraph of describing a room or landscape is seen
as literary suicide.

“Whether you are suffering
from Modern Life Syndrome or ADD, you need to employ processes that will limit
distractions and increase your productivity. The strategies are similar:

1.Determine what
your goals are, business and personal, and make sure some of your efforts each
day are moving you in that direction.

2.Prioritize your
work before you leave the office each evening. You will be focused from the
time you start working the next day.

3.Plan a solid block
of time with limited interruptions. Use that time for your most important,
focused work.

4.Track what causes
the interruptions. Once you find the patterns, you can begin to eliminate some
of these distractions.

5.Do not let email
control your day. Set up specific blocks of time when you will focus on email
alone.

If you do not stop now to make
changes, the result can be a major overload because of constant stress. Stress
is responsible for many of our illnesses, from colds and flu to heart
conditions. 80% of our medical expenditures are now stress-related. When you
are not willing to step back and make adjustments, you may wind up with a
situation over which you no longer have any control.”

(Source as above)

Oh, well, no solutions here—only ways to
prioritize because fast paced everything is here to stay. So we just have to
get with the program. Fine by me…I wouldn’t want to wake up in a world where
shoulder pads are still making their rounds. Eeeww!!

Sunday, 14 October 2012

I used to
think that the Dummies books were really only for, well, Dummies. It used to
be a running joke between my friends and me. (“I’ll get you Dressing for
Dummies if you don’t stop wearing those leotards” or “Parking for Dummies has
been given awesome reviews” after the hundredth failed attempt at squeezing
between two cars at the side of the road.) It just goes to show that I have
proven myself right once again…ignorance is really a disease that we must strive to eliminate. The Dummies series is a godsend!

I’ve been taking
some time off writing (I just sent my second book in to my publisher, so I CAN)
to do some research. I love reading about writing and getting all the millions
of tips that other writers have so graciously put up all over the internet. I’ve
also read The First Five Pages by
Noah Lukeman and can’t stress enough how important this book is to the
storytelling community.

So during
my journey of literary enlightenment, I stumbled upon the Dummies website and—drum
roll please—fell in love! I would never have imagined that such professional,
insightful and amazingly easy to understand articles existed. I was
contemplating whether or not to keep the tips for myself but then my ‘Oooh, I
found this amazing place’ syndrome got the better of me. So here are (a few of)
my favourite tips from Dummies.com! (There are many things that I’ve already
read somewhere on the web before, but this site explains everything so well! I was one of those kids that annoyed everyone with "Why?" so you can imagine the lengths authors have to go to to keep me satisfied.)

3.While evaluating characters and plot
in young adult fiction: push your protagonist out of his or her comfort zone,
each obstacle must push plot and characters forward, the consequences of
failure must be dire at each stage of the plot, each scene and each chapter
must contribute to overall goal, the protagonist must GROW throughout the
novel.

4.Creating a character profile: have a
character diary which explains looks, past, present, fears, hopes, dreams and quirks
etc.

5.Remove: any unnecessary information and
explanation, dialogue passages that go on forever, clunky descriptions that
give too much detail, clumsy images that don’t really work, too many adjectives
and adverbs.

And the
list goes on! No, Dummies are not paying me for advertising. I just think
knowledge should be sharedJ

Friday, 5 October 2012

Peggy
Tibbetts is the author of two middle grade novels, “The Road to Weird” and
“Letters to Juniper,” a 2012 Colorado Book Award finalist. Her current young
adult novel, “PFC Liberty Stryker” is a compelling and authentic story about
the Iraq War from a young female soldier’s point of view. Peggy has worked as a
professional editor and is a fervent blogger at Advice from a Caterpillar (http://advicefromacaterpillar.wordpress.com) and From the Styx (http://fromthestyx.wordpress.com).

Questions:

Have you always wanted to be an author?

Ihave always been a writer, but I
didn’t always want to be an author. As a young child I wanted to be a
veterinarian because of my love of animals. When I was 13, the Beatles song,
“Paperback Writer” was released and I decided that’s what I wanted to be. From
then on the writing bug took over.

Who is the most interesting person you’ve ever
met? Why?

I could opt
for the most famous people I’ve met like Madeleine L’Engle, Judith Guest,
Phyllis Whitney, or Hunter S. Thompson. But the award for most interesting goes
to fellow author, friend, and now publisher, Natalie Collins (Sisterhood
Publications). Her background in the mysterious Mormon faith is fascinating.
Oh, the stories she tells in her books. Natalie has endured many hardships
throughout her life and career but she keeps on keeping on. She is one of the
most talented, determined, hard-working people I have ever known. She inspires
me daily.

What books would you say have enriched your
life and improved your skills as a writer?

So many
books to recommend, but I’ll focus on books for writers: Sol Stein’s “Stein on
Writing” and “How to Grow a Novel”; “The Writer’s Journey” by Christopher
Vogler; “Writing the Breakout Novel” by Donald Maas; “Story” by Robert
McKee;and “Madeleine L'Engle Herself:
Reflections on a Writing Life”.

What was your most recent writing project?
Could you tell us about the ups and downs you faced?

“PFC
Liberty Stryker” was released this year by Sisterhood Publications. Here’s the
blurb: Libby Stryker joined the Army to avenge her daddy's death on 9-11 but
it's nothing like she expected. Operation Iraqi Freedom takes her on a
harrowing journey north with a mysterious Arab through bomb devastation, hot
zones, and RPG attacks. A different kind of horror awaits Libby in Baghdad. Her past and
present, and why it's all gone wrong, blow up in her face.

Our
imaginations take us to strange and wondrous new places. One place I never
expected to go was to war. But there she was. This young, female soldier
stranded in the desert in Iraq.
Libby Stryker. Her story tormented me – at first during the daytime – then in
my dreams. So I gave in. I went to war with Libby and came back a changed
person.

The
research was daunting. I have never been a soldier. I have never been to war. I
have never been to Iraq.
Every single page required research. From baby wipes to weaponry to chai, I had
to immerse myself in the culture of war. To stay in character I often wore a
heavy coat and helmet while I was writing.

I must
confess, before I wrote “PFC Liberty Stryker” I was not in favor of women in
combat. Through my extensive research I learned that female soldiers are
already serving in combat missions but they are not allowed the same
recognition as their male counterparts. Under the current combat rules, women
are doing all the compromising. Without defined roles in combat, female
soldiers have no voice when it comes to strategy and execution. As a result
they can be used as pawns on the battlefield – and often are. This became
Libby’s predicament in the story.

Writing
this book didn’t change my mind about war. But it did change my mind about
women in combat. Women are capable, even outstanding soldiers. They have earned
and they deserve fair treatment and equal opportunities.

My protagonist Anjeli in The Scarlet Omen does not believe in love at first sight but soon
learns that there’s no escaping certain clichés in life. Do you believe in love
at first sight? How do you think this phenomenon should be approached/handled
in a novel?

Yes, I do
believe in love at first sight – or at least mutual attraction. Love at first
sight can be fun writers’ play. A love at first sight situation between two
characters is open to all kinds of “what ifs.” The couple is in love but one obstacle
after another keeps them apart or prevents their happiness. One of the pair
resists his/her feelings. One of the pair (or both) has a handicap or special
power. The possibilities are endless.

As I started delving into author community
scenes and forums, I realized that no one is really safe from bullying. What is
your opinion about bullying, be it at school, work or in the author community?
How do you think we should approach this topic in young adult novels?

What a
great question! It’s easy to say we shouldn’t tolerate bullying. The problem is
the act of bullying stems from intolerance. For example, a kid on the
playground doesn’t tolerate the way another kid dresses. Or one person doesn’t
tolerate another person’s opinion on Facebook. When it comes to bullying we
need to teach tolerance.

When faced
with a bully in real life we are far more cautious, even fearful. In fiction,
we as writers can let out all the stops and take all kinds of risks with our
characters’ behaviors. We have control over the outcome. We can work through
our own demons and help readers work through theirs. We can show what makes a
person behave like a bully. We can show ways to cope with bullying.

When my novel was first published, many people
asked me if my vampires had anything to do with the Cullen family from
Twilight. I said no and actually resented being asked in the first place,
because Asian vampires really are not something you want to meet during the day
let alone have a relationship with. What do you think about trends? What are
the implications for writers?

Trends come
and go. Trends have always been a part of society. Even Shakespeare probably
felt some pressure to come up with a poignant, star-crossed romance to satisfy
16th Century audience demand – or trend. For centuries hence, there
have been countless copycats and derivations of “Romeo and Juliet.”

As writers
we are often told to ignore trends and write our best stories, the stories we
feel passionate about. Yet we are surrounded by trends, not only in books, but
also in music, art, film, television, products, etc. We are constantly
influenced by trends in our daily lives. How can we not be influenced as
writers?

I am
currently working on the final revisions for my nonfiction book – a dogoir (dog
memoir) – titled “Crazy Bitch.” It’s about our dog Venus’s struggle with Canine
Compulsive Disorder (CCD). This is my first nonfiction book and my first
dogoir. If dogoirs were not trending upward in popularity, I probably wouldn’t
have come up with the idea to make a diary of our experiences with our dog’s
mental illness and then write the book.

So you see
we can be inspired by trends to write our best stories.

Parting words of wisdom:

It’s not
enough to write a good story. You must revise. The process of revision brings
your story to life. Read your manuscript aloud. Find a good editor.

Wow! Thanks so much for joining us, Peggy. Very
insightful stuff and we wish you loads of success for your upcoming novels.

Hey readers, if Peggy’s work interests you as
much as it does me, below are some sites where you can further immerse
yourselves in her awesomenessJ Enjoy!!

Saturday, 29 September 2012

“What I am is how I came out. No one’s perfect and you
just have to accept your flaws and learn to love yourself.”—Kelly Brooke (http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/love_yourself.html)

Every day, we’re bombarded by exclamations of, “Just
be yourself,“ and “If you don’t love yourself, no one else will,” and blah
blah. So why the flood of life-changing gurus and products that promise to
transform us into the opposite of what we’ve been all along? Do we even need motivational
sayings of the day if we’re supposed to be contented with how God put us on
this Earth?

Self-improvement
is one thing—it makes you reach your full potential—but a complete pimp
up/overhaul…how’s that going to work? We are who we are and as long as we don’t
hurt anyone (delve into all of the 10 commandments and that’s all it boils down
to) why can’t we just go on living life as it is?

Anjeli
Xavier, the main character in The Scarlet
Omen has also always felt out of place. She struggles to find herself and
the reason she has been put here. Finding out what Fate has in store for her
proves to be an excellent ego-booster, but self-doubt constantly plagues her
every step. Doesn’t this happen to all of us?

If we
really know who are, without the world constantly nagging us about who we
should be, there would be no place for doubt. By being the best that we can be,
we find out the good and the bad, finally able to embrace the wonderful and
reign in the evil. Mentally sane and healthy people have a conscience—they just
need to listen to it.

As a
writer, it’s easy to get caught up in all the hype and confusion of so many
different writing styles and trying not to plagiarize personality. It’s
important to pick up writing tips but to stay loyal to your own style. I’ve
gone soaring over a few road bumps of my own on this storytelling journey and I
come out every day thinking, “Don’t lose yourself in all this crap, girl!”

“To a
certain extent, your writing style-- the manner in which you express yourself -- evolves naturally over
time, a combination of your personality, your reading choices, and to a certain
extent, the decisions you make consciously while writing.”

“… I feel this invisible pull to conform, as though to be
a “better writer” means to be more like the writers that we read in
class. I throw in more description, imagery and more in-depth character
development into my writings. At first, it made me feel safer, but I’ve
realised that it’s just made me the same as everyone else, except not as good. So
from now on, no more trying so hard to be someone else. I’m going to try
and find and employ my own style, do what makes me feel good as a writer, and
write in a way that I find interesting.”—Pace J. Miller (http://pacejmiller.com/2010/04/01/finding-your-own-writing-style/)

There you have it! Stay true to
yourselves! This is why living your life to the fullest is so important in
teenage years as well as later on. You get to experiment as a kid, learn and
grow, stumbling upon what works for you or not. If you don’t, you end up a
confused adult sitting in the middle of you designer living room (which some
overpriced dude with funny hair told you how to decorate) suffocated by self-help
books and soggy tissues!

So just go have adventures, love
yourself and party till you drop!! Just please don’t hurt yourselves and anyone
else or your parents WILL come looking for me.

Over the past few years, I’ve realised that failure
and success are intertwined. There were many mistakes I made which evidently
turned into opportunities for further growth as a person as well as a writer
(I’m not saying writers aren’t people, so calm yourself!). I wonder if I would
be where I am today had I not paid attention to my failures (and there were
many) and used them as ways to come out on top. Every day, I see people who
have accepted defeat and moved on to some other project without even trying
that one last time which could have made all the difference in the world.
However, just because I have never taken No for an answer, does this mean that
it’s right? Could I have avoided a whole lot of disappointment and pain had I
just tucked my tail between my legs and scurried off to some other adventure?

Sometimes I wish that a little book had accompanied me
on my way to this world which tells me everything I need to know about what’s
going to work for me and not. (Some of you may say, “Yeah, it’s called the
BIBLE or *please feel free to insert any other relevant religious, motivational
or otherwise plain telling-people-how-to-live-their-lives publication here*!”,
but you know what I mean.) So, my question is basically, when do we know when
to stop fighting and just except our lot in life?

Failure can occur anywhere, be it in our
love lives, carrier, at school or anywhere else where a bunch of people have
the chance at frowning upon us. If we could just live on our own and forget
about the other tsk-ing human beings around us, I don’t think there’d be much
point to failure and success. (If there’s no one around to applaud that perfect
piano recital, is it considered a success?) However, we’re stuck with our kind
and have to make the best of it so learning to deal with failure sort of comes
with the territory (but the look on your parents’ faces when you bring home
that trophy will always overshadow the bad times…believe you me.)

“New research from the University of Kent
has revealed that positive reframing,
acceptance andhumor are the most effective coping
strategies for people dealing with failures. In a paper published by the
international journalAnxiety,
Stress & Coping, Dr. Joachim Stoeber and Dr. Dirk Janssen from
the University's School of Psychology describe a diary study that found these
three strategies to be most effective in dealing with small failures and
setbacks, and helping people to keep up their spirits and feel satisfied at the
end of the day.”—Ray B.
Williams (http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/wired-success/201107/how-deal-best-failure-and-stress)

As I am an extremely optimistic person (sometimes
bordering on simply-dreaming-fool), I tend to believe that if you love
something enough, there will never be a time to give up on it. EVER. I would
rather fight with my man till my dentures fall out, submit that hundred year
old manuscript to robot publishers and learn to ride that dang motorbike to my
grave than giving up and wondering after I’m gone, “What if…”.

The sight
of the sun winking at you from between rain clouds. The sound of birdsong after
a long winter. The feel of sand between your toes on your first trip to the
beach. Your first taste of rebellion. The smell of your partner.

Our senses
influences how we experience the world, how we learn, love or regret. I
personally tend to ignore them sometimes, choosing to delve into the challenges
of everyday life while literally forgetting to stop and smell the roses. It’s
gotten better now (I practically had to kick myself into watching the world
around me) and day dreaming somewhere in nature has become one of my favourite
down times.

If we take
away one sense completely, do the others make any sense? An apple is red, yeah
so? That doesn’t mean anything if I don’t know that the redder it is the better
it tastes or smells or that it gets squishy after a while. If the weather man
forecasts blue skies tomorrow, will it have an impact on me if I can’t feel the
sun on my skin or hear the kids playing outside or taste the picnic spread?

I know
people who claim to have the sixth sense and frankly it scares the pants off of
me while at the same time intriguing me beyond what normal people consider
healthy. My protagonist Anjeli in The
Scarlet Omen is plagued by visions and spirits and everything else
hair-raising. She struggles with it, wanting to be a normal teenager but
knowing that that’s not going to happen anytime soon. It’s fun to read about
characters with special powers and how they deal with it but I sometimes wonder
if we need senses like that in real life. The people I know who “see” things
personally don’t see the point to the gift either. Luckily, God knows that I’d
freak out and live at the top of a coconut tree if I had the gift so He has
spared me.

So what are
the implications for authors? We all know that readers don’t like being told but
shown (I can’t tell you how many books I’ve sent flying at the wall which tried
to convince me of the millionth shade of brown rock!). Stories need to sound
magical or readers might as well pull out their encyclopedias and get to it. It’s
hard work, but I’ve read a few books that have mastered it and I must say...the
enchantment that unfolds is so worth the trouble.

“It is the
writer’s job to show us what his characters are like, not by what he says about
them, or what they say about one another, but by their actions...telling...makes
a text read more like a synopsis than a work of art.”—Noah Lukeman, The First Five Pages

My first
novel, The Scarlet Omen plays mainly
in a parallel world called The Valley of the Hornbills. As you can imagine,
nature practically smothers my readers from left, right and centre. Can you
imagine reading or writing a book like that without making use of your five
senses? I’d have died of boredom in the middle of writing it! *Cause of death:
lack of sensory stimulation and a whole lot of bull.

So let’s take
the time and actually put some thought into how we perceive the world. It might
get a little overwhelming at times, but it’s a whole lot better than inhaling a
Snickers bar without even knowing there’re peanuts in it. As for The Scarlet Omen and my medley of the
senses, I’ll leave you to be the judge of that. All you need is a good sense of
humour, a not so sound mind and a taste for magic. Cheers!